The Dreary Future of Imposed Identity

By the end of the 20th century, a kind of nationalism that owes more to post-Hegelian romanticism than to 18th-century revolutionary republicanism has emerged. This outbreak of nation-consciousness increasingly manifests itself in efforts to secede from, or bring about the disintegration of, multinational civil societies and established states. Around the world, there are people who are enthusiastically engaged in acting out the worst imaginable definitions of nationalism: the most visible nationalisms seem violent and destructive. Not all nationalist movements seek the deconstruction of existing liberal civil societies. Nevertheless, even the least xenophobic of these movements still evince a tendency to disengage, wholly or partially, from the civil societies of multi-ethnic states. Many seek, instead, to institute a form of governance nostalgically embodying a degree of ethno-national exclusivity. Such a tendency is an odd one in this globalising era, but also understandable.

Aesthetics · Art · Identity (music) · Globalization and Cultural Identity · History · Philippine History and Culture · Political Conflict and Governance